October 23, 2011

So here goes our Quarterly Family Update.  (I really should return to weekly.  I had a much nicer family journal when I was writing weekly.  Hmmm.  Something to consider. )

Bryce is adjusting very well to MTC life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have sent him letters and remembered him in your prayers.  I am actually quite amazed by how well he is doing.  He’s tired of being confined and ready to re-enter the “real world” . . . well, sort of . . . the “real world” of missionary work . . . but he is enjoying the perks of the MTC.  Mainly, the high profile devotional speakers and the same-day letter service through DearElder.com.

One of the most fun things for me is to see the NEW Bryce mixed with the OLD Bryce in his e-mails.  In one paragraph, he will tell me about how he’s actually starting to like his study time and how he bought a copy of “Jesus the Christ,” and can’t wait to read it.  Then in the next paragraph, he talks about purposely letting Elder Shultz walk into poles while he’s reading letters from home.  I think, “Wow, that doesn’t sound like Bryce.”  And then I will read further and think, “Oh, THAT sounds like Bryce.”

Still finding time for fun.  (With Elder Shultz.)

Getting some water with Elder Franks.

It appears that missionaries like toys!

After hearing about the all-you-can-eat cafeteria and the ice cream bar every Wednesday night, Brett is ready to pack his bags for the MTC right now.  He’s counting the days to chocolate milk, pizza, hamburger, and chicken nuggets every day!

Brett gets his learner’s permit tomorrow and starts Drivers Ed on November 3.  I am not so sure I want to through this with another child.  Well, no, I AM sure I do not want to go through this with another child.  (Big Sigh.)

Brett is also headed for another rite of passage:  wisdom teeth.  His bottom two wisdom teeth are ready to come out and will start causing problems if they’re not removed soon.  We’re looking at Christmas break as a good time for surgery and recovery, but he says that’s the worse time in the world since all the best food is around at Christmas.  He’s got a point.

Marching Band Fun!

 

Brett went camping with the scouts this weekend.  It was the very last one he needs for his camping merit badge.  There was a miscommunication on the transportation arrangements, so the boys ended up stranded without a way home.  They called me yesterday morning, and I had to drive out to pick them up.  Luckily, they had only been gone one night, so the four boys returning in my car were not as smelly as usual following a campout.

Jeff’s campout experience was COLD.  They went to Oregon Butte, and I told him to pack for winter weather because they’d be in the mountains. I have had to go through this coat debate with each of my boys as deacons.   This time was Jeff’s coat debate.  (Yay!  My very last one!)  Jeff was taking only a sweatshirt.  I told him it was going to be freezing, and he would definitely need his coat.  But no matter what I said, he refused to pack it.  It was too big and too heavy and took up too much room in his pack and he would be fine without it.  Even Brett said, “Listen to Mom, Jeff. She is actually right this time. You are going to be cold.” At the last minute, I convinced him to at least take TWO sweatshirts instead of one, but that was the best I could do. So . . . he froze.  He said he’ll be taking a coat next time.

His campout wasn’t much fun for another reason:  They got a flat tire on the road and had no cell phone reception to call for help.  They had to sit and wait for the next group of scouts to come along and rescue them.  Then they had to all cram into one car and drive back and forth between the nearest town and the camping spot to get a new tire and bring it back to put on the car.  That made them much later getting to their destination, and then they had to hike in at night.  They didn’t get their tents set up until after midnight.  If I had not already seen the long-term results of these campouts, I would ban them altogether. However, I have noticed that for some strange reason, they seem to build character in boys.

We do a lot of scouting around here.  I’m the den leader for cub scouts and Jeff is my helper.  Last week, my cub scouts had to participate in an outdoor flag ceremony, so we walked from the church to a house a few blocks away that has a flag pole in their yard.  As we walked, we made the rule that none of the boys could pass Jeff.  That way we could contain them without having boys spread out over a quarter mile.  So it was Jeff in his tan scout shirt with nine blue-shirted cub scouts walking single file behind him. It made me giggle– he looked like a mother duck with nine ducklings following him down the sidewalk.  I wish I had had my camera.

Overheard through Text Messaging
Brett:  Could you buy me some Pringles while you’re at the store?
Me:  OK.  But only because I love you.
Brett:  You are the best mom I have ever had!